hooked on crochet & always knitting

Tag: future projects

I decided to do a companion entry to go with my last post. This time I want to post my favorite free crochet patterns to date. I’ve made some of these before, but most of them have waited in my library for the day that I decide to pick up my hooks again. (I’ve been knitting a lot lately and neglecting crochet, unfortunately.)

Most of these are very nerdy projects so they may not appeal to everyone. I love them though so hopefully you will too. And if you aren’t the nerdy type, maybe you know someone who is. 😉

So without further delay, here are my picks!

Viking or Dwarven Beard
Patterns like this are the whole reason I wanted to learn how to crochet. I found a picture similar to this on Pinterest and had such a nerdgasm that I decided to learn crochet immediately. This pattern is actually just for the beard, but it should be easy to attach it to any helmet pattern you like.

Carry On and Fus Ro Dah! Skyrim Helmet
While we’re talking about helmets, here is the perfect candidate for pairing with the above beard. If you’re a Skyrim fan, you may already know what this is. In case you don’t, this is a crochet version of the Iron Helmet from the game Skyrim. I’ve actually made one of these before, and it was a huge hit. Love this pattern to death!

Antonia Wrap Around Shrug
I love the variety of styles that you can achieve from this one shrug. I think that this will be my next crochet project. Even though it’s worked with worsted weight yarn, it takes a large hook so it should work up quite fast. I’m already stockpiling yarn for it, ha ha~

Super Mario/Luigi Hat
This pattern has been sitting in my queue for a long time! Mario was a huge part of my childhood (Super Mario Bros. 3 was my favorite!) so I was very pleased to find this very fine hat. I would like to do a Rule 63 Luigi cosplay eventually. This will be perfect for that!

Sandwich Coaster set
This is probably the cutest idea in the world for coasters! I already love crocheted foods more than I should. I was way excited when I found this. The pattern has instructions for bread, sliced tomato, cheese, lettuce, and lunch meat. There’s even an olive on a toothpick that holds the sandwich together when not in use! How adorable~

Iron Man Fingerless Gloves
Since T is a huge Iron Man fan, I knew that I had to make us a set of these. I have the normal Iron Man pair, but I’m going to make T a pair that are War Machine’s colors. I can’t wait to finish these and wear them to the theater to see the new Captain America!

Dragon
This little guy is an adorable amigurumi dragon! I’ve loved dragons since I was a kid. Movies, books, games; if it has a dragon in it, chances are I’ll love it. (Or at least I’ll want to give a look!) This pattern was actually made in celebration of the Year of the Dragon several years ago. The pattern creator has several other Chinese New Year dolls like this on her website, and they’re all just as adorable~

Companion Cube
It’s the Companion Cube from Portal! I love having cute, unique pillows laying around my bed and couch. This pattern is technically not a pillow, but it would look great as the centerpiece on a bed or something, right? The amount of detail is very impressive too!

Baroque Tabard Tunic
I love wearing a good tunic. It makes me feel all Legend of Zelda-y, even if it looks nothing like the one Link wears. This is probably my favorite pattern for a tunic ever. I haven’t tried it myself, but it made it to my list so I can only resist for so long. The best part about it is the sleeves. They look like they would drape very prettily.

Star Wars Twi’lek Hat
This has to be one of the best ideas for a hat ever! I grew up watching Star Wars; it was as large a part of my childhood as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And finding a cool crochet piece that wasn’t the usual Lightsaber-themed deal was really awesome. (Although I still think Lightsabers are awesome.) I’ve got to make time for this before the next movie comes out!

I think I’ll find myself working on a lot of these projects in the near future. I’ve found myself itching to hook now that I’ve looked through my library again. I’ll definitely post some pictures and keep this blog updated when I do start so keep at least one eye here. 😀

I find myself spending a lot of time on Ravelry. More often than not, I’m just browsing to see what I can find rather than looking for something specific. My library is swollen to ridiculous proportions with all of the cool patterns that I’ve found, so I thought it would be fun to post the ones that I’m most excited about trying. Maybe y’all will like some of them too.

(NOTE: None of these are my patterns. Also, I haven’t made any of these before. These are kind of my goal projects. I will know I’m a knitting master when I’ve made them all. XD )

The Legend of Baby Link
I am a huge Legend of Zelda fan so when I found this knitted Link outfit, I knew that I had to make it. I still haven’t tried it yet, but maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Or I could just wait until I have a baby. That’s probably a better idea.

Hobbit Dress
I honestly don’t know why this pattern is named this. It’s more of a fantasy-like coat or cloak than a dress? Regardless, it’s a really cool pattern! I saw a similar style jacket at the renaissance fair last year, except it was leather. (So it was waaaaay expensive!) I was so happy when I found this knitted alternative. And the corset-style lacing is pretty too~

Link’s Gauntlets
Another Legend of Zelda item! These are knitted versions of Link’s gauntlets, complete with the Triforce on the back of the hand. I really wanted to make an entirely crocheted Link cosplay, but I’ve decided to just whip up a regular costume with my sewing machine. I definitely want to use the knitted gauntlets though.
(NOTE: For the hook-lovers, there’s also a crochet version! Thought I’d post it here instead of including it in the upcoming “top 10 crochet patterns” post.)

Hermione’s Everyday Socks
I’ve already talked about these patterns before, but I couldn’t help linking them here anyway. The woman who writes these patterns made a whole series of Harry Potter themed socks, and they’re so beautiful. One of my other favorite is the Weasley Homestead set.

Reyna
I wasn’t a shawl person at all before. I didn’t think that they were stylish and could be worn anyway that looks decent on me. Wrong again! I love the way they drape when wrapped scarf-like around the neck and shoulders. This pattern is actually one of the ones that changed my mind about shawls.

Cunning Jayne Hat
I’ve said before that I’m a huge nerd, and what nerd doesn’t doesn’t love a good sci-fi series. Even though Firefly was short-lived, it’s by far one of my most favorite shows. So of course when I learned how to knit, one of the first things I looked for was Jayne’s hat! I’m going to try knitting a basic hat first to make sure I understand how to do it, then I’ll work on this baby! It’ll be shiny!

Eiku
Another beautiful shawl. I love the lace work, and the alternating stockinette/garter stitch rows. So pretty~

Jamestown
I’ve already decided that if I ever get around to making a sweater, this is the one! I love the texture of the stitching, and the larger fit is great too. I like to wear things that are a couple sizes too big for me because I like to wear leggings as pants and larger items will cover my booty. (People who say that leggings aren’t pants are probably the same people who picked Bulbasaur as a starter Pokemon. :P)

Sagebrush
I love shrugs! They’re cute and quirky looking, and they add a bit of interest to what might otherwise be a plain t-shirt/tank top. The only problem is that I’ve never been able to find one that fit me properly. Hands down the best thing about knitting my own things is that I can make them special for me. I can finally have the perfect shrug!

Nurmilintu
I know that this will be the third shawl that I’ve posted here, but it really deserves the attention. I really love the shape of this one, the way it tapers from one side to the other. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that it has a rounded shape? The stitching along the edge is beautiful too. When I get around to making a shawl, I think that this will be my first one.

Well, those are my picks for my top 10 favorite knitting patterns to date. I might revisit this idea again when I discover some other patterns. I tend to stockpile them in my Ravelry library so I’m sure I’ll come up with others eventually.

Do you have a pattern or two that you just adore? Or maybe that one project that you feel will mark your ascent into knitting mastery? Let me know in the comments! 😀